Trauma
A trauma is an
from the past that you have not processed. It can happen after one or more shocking experiences, like a car accident, the death of someone close, sexual abuse, violence, or seeing violence. Being bullied or losing your job can also cause trauma.
What is trauma?
After a difficult event, you may feel sad, scared, angry, or guilty. These are normal feelings. Usually, they go away over time. But if the feelings stay, we call it trauma.
There are two types of trauma:
- Single trauma: one bad event
- Multiple or complex trauma: many bad experiences over a longer time
How do you know if you have trauma?
You might:
- Relive the event (in thoughts or nightmares)
- Feel a lot of stress or fear
- Avoid certain situations or thoughts
- Have trouble concentrating or get angry quickly
- With complex trauma: feel very bad about yourself or develop an anxiety disorder
What can you do?
It may feel easier to hide your feelings, but that often makes things worse later.
- Talk to someone you trust
- Get help. Trauma can often be treated well
- Your GP can refer you, for example for EMDR therapy
Self-learning modules
With your Fontys account, you can make free use of online self-help modules (e-health).
Resilience
Want to build more resilience? This module helps you understand how you react to setbacks and teaches you how to deal with them better in the future.
Go to the Resilience module
Useful links
*The phone number on the website is available in the UK only. In the Netherlands, you can contact 113 Suicide prevention at 0800-0113 if your trauma leads to suicidal thoughts.
Contact team Student Guidance
- If trauma is affecting your mental well-being, make an appointment with a student psychologist.
- If trauma affects your study progress, please book an appointment with a student counsellor.